I'm a geek in all I do: Games, Suburban Agriculture, Faith, Food, and Love

Coffee and a job

I’m sitting in downtown Ypsilanti, in the newly opened B-24’s Espresso Bar, in the space that used to be Bombadill’s Neighborhood Coffee House. The previous owner decided he needed to sell, unable to make the coffee shop successful while dedicating the physical and emotional presence he thought needed to his family. I like Peter a lot, and it takes a lot of self-awareness to make the kind of decision he made. His assistant manager, though, worked out a deal with him and the landlord to rework the place and re-open it. Today, B-24’s opened, and it is FABULOUS. I’m currently drinking a pour over of Mighty Good Coffee Company’s Black Diamond coffee.

In other news, I’ve a job! I am now a full-time employee of Zingerman’s Mail Order! I worked as one of the temporary holiday Service Stars, starting in October, and wonderfully, amazingly, I was able to get a full time job there for the REST of the year. I am truly excited by this, not only because it’s a health care and paid-time-off providing company, but ALSO because I truly love the work. Yes, it’s largely customer service, but as I told one of the managing partners, it’s a job that has all the things I liked about my job at the ISP, without the drug dealing boss, mom-and-pop-shop drama, and it’s not Tech Support. I’m no longer slave to AT&T being idiots. Added bonus: My profession is now something I’m actively interested in. I’d long ago lost desire to work in the IT industry in any environment where I’m working with the general public. I’m quite content to be a geek at home, and to apply my geekery to things at work, without such work encompassing EVERYTHING I do. I’m far more interested in food, and sustainable living, than I am computer security and connectivity.

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I think it’s fantastic that you were able to find a job doing something you are passionate about – and while I’ve only been to Zingerman’s a couple of times (we don’t make it to AA much) what I’ve had there has been *spectacular.* I’ll have to check out the mail order offerings. :)

I SO hear you on being more interested in food and sustainable living, over IT stuff. I worked in IT for 15+ years in the corporate setting, and I burned out years before I was downsized in 2009. I remember when 9/11 happened, having a perspective check. I realized, yes, technology is important in its own right, but during a disaster, survival skills and being able to do basic things like feed yourself are a priority long before users needing to get to their daily dose of pr0n. :P At least, that’s how it SHOULD be, heh. In the grand scheme, what matters more? And have we really made a better society because of technology, or have we glorified the “how” we do things instead of focusing on “why” we do those things in the first place? (To borrow a thought from Joel Salatin.)

I saw the pantry photo on Tessie’s FB wall, and it’s fantastic! Well done. :) Glad to have been introduced to you both; it’s really nice to have folks with common goals and insights about life. :)